I know a lot of girls (not many boys for some reason) who are vegetarians. Iíll admit I tried it myself for awhile, but a cheeseburger was my eventual undoing. I know that being vegetarian is very healthy and obviously helps keep your weight in check since youíre eating so many healthy foods. I also know that most people decide to become vegetarian because they donít believe in eating animals. Some vegetarians donít believe in using any animal products like milk, eggs or cheese either.

I am impressed by those who avoid meat for ethical reasons since they work so hard to follow their beliefs. I am curious, however, about how healthy most vegetarians are. It might just be me, but most of the people who claim to be vegetarians eat very few vegetables. Donít get me wrong, Iím a huge supporter of bread, dairy, fruits and sweets, and I eat my fair share of junk food as well.

Is Being a Vegetarian Healthy?

So how healthy is it to not eat meat? According to doctors and nutritionists, itís very healthy so long as youíre getting a proper balance of vitamin and nutrients. The main nutrients that are found in most meats are iron and protein. By eating specific ďreplacementĒ foods such as tofu and legumes (beans) you can get a lot of protein, and eating iron rich foods like spinach can help get that important nutrient, too.

Vegetables, fruit and dairy (if youíre eating it) have almost all the vitamins and nutrients you need, so cutting out meat isnít a bad thing. In fact with all the fat and growth hormones in a lot of meats, it can be very healthy. If youíve eliminated all dairy and egg products, youíll obviously have to work a bit harder to get all the right vitamins and nutrients, but it is still very possible. Bottom line: A good vegetarian diet is very healthy.

Unhealthy Vegetarians

So what happens when your vegetarian diet isnít a ďgoodĒ one. The average person should be getting four or more servings of vegetables and fruit in addition to all the protein sources, starches, carbs and dairy foods every day. If you have an off day and only get two servings of fruits, itís not a big deal. However, if your particular brand of vegetarian means eating Doritos and Coke, there is a problem.

An occasional snack wonít hurt you, but eating junk instead of healthy food will, regardless of whether you are a vegetarian or not. I know of girls who are thin, active and look great, but are actually malnourished.

They skip breakfast, eat a bag of chips and a Coke for lunch and maybe eat one or two servings of something relatively healthy for dinner. They snack on junk during the day and the few bites of good stuff arenít enough to make up the difference.

Being malnourished means your body is crying out for healthy food and it will show this by being sluggish. Youíll feel weak, tired, and grumpy a lot. We all have ups and downs with our diet, and believe me, Iím not perfect. Vegetarians have to be even more careful than the rest of us because theyíve chosen to eliminate foods that have a lot of nutritional value.

They have to work harder to be sure they are getting all the good stuff they need every day.

Like I said, I have a lot of respect for vegetarians Ė especially those who do it for their strong beliefs. I just feel strongly that if youíre going to be a vegetarian, you need to actually eat your vegetables.

Posted On: August 9, 2007whatever- im not going to say anymore and have people saying im forcing my beileifs on you all. but really, look up the book case for a creator. its not beleif biased, its really good.

Posted On: August 8, 2007okay first of all if ur a person on here such as cut anadiction we dont care about u not believeining god so u dont need to tell people who actually do false info about him and keep ur own lil religion 2 urself 4 all we care! last time i checked this article its about being a healthy vegetarian not to not belive in god cause i say so and im right!and anyway i am a meat eater and if u dont eat meat thats fine i just wrote in to get cut anadictions facts straight o and y r u a guy on a girly sight thats kinda funnly lol!thats all

Posted On: August 8, 2007I guess most people, including myself, don't have brains then. Animals eat each other every day too. Most animals were designed for a purpose, and most are made for eating, rather it be for human use or animal use. And yes, you do have the right to say your religion, but that doesn't mean you should run around saying "god is a fraud!" I swear, i am about fuXcking sick of veggies who say meat eaters are stupid and disguisting and selfish. So I guess the lions who eat the cute little zebr@s and gazelles have no brains either? Oh, and don't forget about the coyotes who hunt the cute little deer, they're just selfish creatures who only care about themselves.

Posted On: August 8, 2007Steak. Hot dogs. Pork. Yummmmmmm. (Oh and I am Christian.) You can eat meat and still be healthy. Seriously, we should just stop this argument, there is enough drama already. I swear there is more drama here than in the movie Titanic.

Posted On: August 8, 2007acutie1995, I think you are overeacting. I am a strong Christian, but I didn't take it to that much offense. Don't blow up at people because they don't believe the same things you do.

Oh, and to stick to the topic, I am a vegetarian. I always thought meat tasted really bad...

Posted On: August 8, 2007so im NOT a vegetarian and have absolutly nothing against those of you who are. i have so much respect for you all! i would be a vegetarian but i just dont have the willpower...=] and please folks, will you please stop arguing? if you eat meat dont criticize the way vegeatrians live their life and vice versa, mmkay? sheesh!

oh and by the way, dont anyone DARE insult my intelligence by saying that if i paid attention in science(APBio) i would know that there was little evidence to support God and stuff, got it? im a big girl and i can make my own decisions on religion. and dont say that i care only about humans because i eat animals. i do give a d@mn about animals and like alabama said, they're going to die anyway by some other species. watch The Lion King. now this might seem a bit rude, but this is only targeted towards those who are writing that there life choice is the only life choice.

Posted On: August 7, 2007Im Wiccan but i dont think that just because we have the most babies and more population means that we should just thoughtlessly chow down on anything in sight. Meat tastes good to SOME people and not so much to others. You cant go around telling people how to live their lives, if they dont want to eat meat SO BE IT! I wont convince them to stop it's their belifes. Right on Veggies

Posted On: August 7, 2007Hey I'm not Christian, but I don't see anything that points to god. Because there is so much that changes the idea that you were created by one guy and etc. I'm not against christianity but I'm just saying that there are many ways you can look at it and say "This isn't right." or "This couldn't have happend." and "This doesn't make sense." Oh, to idontcarewhatt, We are the dominant spieces because we have thumbs. and meat tastes good because we are omnivores and have taste buds.

Posted On: August 7, 2007mrs_steptoe-My works in a farm supply/ animal feed store and she has heard a lot of stories about people being knocked over in pig pens and attacked. It's also a pretty well known secret around here that if you want to dispose of a body just to throw it in a pig pen and they'll eat it, and then bury the skeleton. Not that I have any bodies to dispose of, but yeah...XD

Oh, and just encase any o you are wonderin I don't have anything agaisnt veggies, but I do have somethign agaisnt people that say if you eat meat you only care about humans and blah blah blah. Animals will eat each other...that deer my dad shot probably would have ended up prey to a coyote or mountain lion. It's just the food chain...and humans are usually at the top.

Posted On: August 7, 2007sheesh- all this arguing. stop insulting each other! if you like meat, fine, be healthy. if youre a vegitarian, fine, just stay healthy! i am going to try it because i have diabetes and want to see if it will help with blood sugar control and such.

and- CUT_anadaction, i feel bad that you think there isnt much evidence for god. really, evidence points TOWARDS god if people would just dig deeper. i hope you choose to examine facts and that you'll see.